Positioning and locking hanging system

ABSTRACT

One or more horizontal brackets mounted to a surface provide support, positioning, and locking when one or more hanger bodies with adjustable hooks are attached to the back of a picture or other object so that the hooks grab onto the brackets. The brackets are beveled to provide space for the hooks between the surface and the bracket. The upward and downward facing hooks on the hangers move vertically along screws and hook onto the top and bottom of the horizontal brackets. The downward facing hooks that grab onto the top of the bracket provide support and horizontal positioning by sliding along the length of the bracket. They also position the picture to the desired height and make it level. The upward facing hooks that grab onto the bottom of the brackets lock the picture onto the brackets.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention concerns a hanging system composed of one or more hangerbodies with one or more screws and adjustable hooks attached to apicture frame or other object, and one or more brackets that areattached onto a wall or surface. The system allows the object to bepositioned while on the brackets and to lock the picture against thewall thereby providing a measure of security against theft and movementby incidental contact. The brackets are anchored into the wall so thatthere is space between the wall and the brackets for the interfacingattachments on the hanger. The system provides a measure ofadjustability for position the picture on the wall without having toremove the object from the track.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Known security picture hangers in commercial production used for hangingpictures onto walls are not able to adjust the position of the pictureagainst the wall. They lack any significant capability for changing theposition of the picture after the picture is attached to them withoutremoving the picture. It is useful to be able to have a picture securelyhung against a wall or other surface in the precise desired positionwithout having to constantly remove the picture to make adjustments. Theadjustability provided by this invention allows the picture to be movedto an infinite number of positions within a range without having toremove the picture from the wall and then to lock the picture at thatposition onto the wall. With one or more horizontal brackets along alength of a wall pictures can be added or removed from the brackets asdesired. A security easel may even be the object attached to thebrackets.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention combines one or more horizontal brackets attached to awall and one or more hanger bodies attached to a picture or otherobject. Each hanger body has from one to three adjusting screws. Someembodiments have adjusting screws with hooks or bars that engage abracket. Other embodiments have the hanger body and an adjusting screwengaging the bracket. This combination of components provides a systemthat supports the object on a wall or surface so that it can beprecisely positioned over a range and then locked in that position.

The simplest embodiment is composed of a bracket in the form of a lengthof double beveled track anchored horizontally to the wall and a hangerbody with a single screw and hook. The hanger body is attached to thetop middle of the frame and has a downwardly inclined lower lip thatfits onto the top of the track. This inclined lip fits into the spacebetween the wall and the track and supports the picture that it isattached to. This connection also lets the picture move horizontallyalong the track. The single screw in the hanger body extends below thebottom of the track and the upwardly inclined threaded hook on the screwengages the bottom of the track. Tightening the hook onto the bottom ofthe track locks the picture in place.

A second embodiment has a horizontal track attached to a wall and ahanger body having two screws being attached to the top middle of apicture. The screws are positioned such that the first screw is on theouter edge of the hanger body and is threadedably engaged through thehanger body. The second screw is in the same plane as the first screw,closer to the base of the hanger and able to rotate freely. When thepicture with the hanger attached is placed onto the track the outerscrew engages the top recess of the track and supports the picture. Thepicture can then be positioned along the track to the desired horizontalposition. The height of the picture can also be adjusted by raising orlowering this outer screw. The inner screw extends past the bottom ofthe track and the bottom hook travels up and engages the bottom side ofthe track when this screw is turned and this locks the picture in place.

The next embodiment is similar to the previous one except that it hastwo outer screws threaded in the hanger body on either side of themiddle inner rotating screw. The two outer screws engage the top recessof the beveled track and provide leveling as well as horizontal andvertical positioning. The inner screw is again used to lock the pictureby having the hook engage the bottom of the track.

The next embodiment has three screws horizontally along the same planeof the hanger body. The screws are free to rotate in the body and eachscrew has a threaded hook on it. The middle hook has an upwardly facinghook while the two outside screws have downward facing hooks. The twooutside screws have retaining nuts where they exit the bottom of thehanger body to keep them from being pushed up through their respectiveholes in the hanger body. This assembly, when attached to the top backcenter of a picture, allows the picture to be hung with the two sidehooks over the top of the track and the middle hook under the bottom ofthe track. This permits the picture to be leveled, positionedhorizontally and vertically, and then locked onto the track.

Top and bottom hangers are used on the picture when security is desired.These embodiments require top and bottom tracks. For these embodimentsthe number of adjusting and locking screws and hooks in each hanger bodycan be reduced to a single middle hook. The bottom hook is facing in adownward direction and the top hook is facing in an upward direction.The bottom hook will go over the top of the bottom track while the tophook goes under the bottom of the top track. The bottom hook supportsthe picture onto the bottom track and the top hook holds the pictureagainst the wall and forces the top of the picture into the bottom trackwhen tightened.

The use of a single screw top and a single screw bottom hanger with twotracks permits horizontal and vertical positioning and locking onto thetwo track combination. The use of a double (side by side) screw for thebottom hanger permits leveling when used with two tracks. The use of athree screw hanger for the top and bottom hangers makes each track asupporting track.

For large pictures two top three screw hangers can be used near the topcorners with a single long track or with two short tracks anchored tothe wall. To have the top and bottom of the picture locked onto the walla four corner arrangement with two long tracks or four short tracks canbe used with four single screw hangers.

Instead of mounting the hangers onto the picture the hangers could beattached to an easel that has provisions for locking pictures ontoitself. Two tracks would be used with four hangers attached to thecorners of the easel for such an arrangement. The use of metal trackswould permit the addition of an electrical signal onto the tracks formonitoring and alarm devices on the easel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1a is a back elevational view looking away from the wall withhanger body engaging the top of the beveled track and the threaded hookengaging the bottom of the beveled track.

FIG. 1b is a side elevational view of the device of FIG. 1a.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the double screw hanger attached tothe picture engaging the double beveled track anchored to the wall.

FIG. 3 is a back elevational view looking away from the wall with athree screw hanger body attached to picture and engaging a beveledtrack.

FIG. 4a is a back elevational view looking away from the back of thepicture with a three screw hanger body attached to the back of thepicture with the two outer hooks engaging the top of the beveled track,and the middle hook under the bottom of the track.

FIG. 4b is a side elevational view of the device of FIG. 4a.

FIG. 5a is a back elevational view looking away from the back of thewall with top and bottom single screw hanger bodies attached to the backof the picture with the bottom hook engaging the top of the bottombeveled track, and the top hook under the bottom of the top track.

FIG. 5b is a back elevational view looking away from the back of thewall with a top single screw hanger body and a bottom double screwhanger body attached to the back of the picture with the two bottombooks engaging the top of the bottom beveled track, and the top hookunder the bottom of the top track.

FIG. 5c is a back elevational view looking away from the back of thewall with top and bottom three screw hanger bodies attached to the backof the picture with the two outside bottom hooks engaging the top of thebottom beveled track, the middle bottom hook engaging the bottom of thetrack, and the two outside top hooks over the top of the top track, andthe middle top hook under the bottom of the top track.

FIG. 5d is a back elevational view looking away from the back of thewall with two top three screw hanger bodies attached to the back of thepicture with the two outside bottom hooks engaging the top of the leftand right beveled tracks, and the middle hooks engaging the bottom ofthe right and left tracks.

FIG. 5e is a back elevational view looking away from the back of thewall with four corner single screw hanger bodies attached to the back ofthe picture with the two bottom hooks engaging the top of the bottombeveled tracks, and the two top hooks engaging the bottom of the topbeveled tracks.

FIG. 6 is a front elevational view looking at a locking easel mountedonto two tracks with four single hook hangers attached to the backcorners of the easel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A locking picture hanging system that uses wall-mounted tracks andhanger bodies with one or more adjustable hooks attached to the picturesis the basis for this invention. The system allows the picture mountedon this system to be positioned and then to be locked in place on thetrack.

With reference to FIGS. 1a & 1 b, in which like numerals represent likeparts FIGS. 1a & 1 b show hanger body 13 attached to picture frame 11with screws 18 a & 18 b. The hanger body 13 has a downward extending lip19 that sits on the top of the double beveled track 15 and allowshorizontal positioning. The hanger body 13 has apertures to support andallow screw 14 to rotate freely. Screw 14 extends below the bottom oftrack 15 and has hook 16 threadably engaged on it. Hook 16 has an upwardlip that engages and locks onto the bottom of track 15. Track 15 isattached to wall 12 with screws 17 a & 17 b. Picture 11 can bepositioned horizontally along track 15 and then locked in place bytightening screw 14.

With reference to FIG. 2 the hanger body 23 is attached to picture frame21 with screws 28. The hanger body 23 has an outer screw 29 threadablyengaged and extending onto the top of the double beveled track 25 suchthat the vertical position of picture 21 can be changed by turning screw29 and horizontal positioning is also possible. The hanger body 23 hasinner apertures to support and allow screw 24 to rotate freely. Screw 24extends below the bottom of track 25 and has hook 26 threadably engagedon it. Hook 26 has an upward lip that engages and locks onto the bottomof track 25. Track 25 is attached to wall 22 with screws 27. Picture 21can be positioned vertically and horizontally along track 25 and thenlocked in place by tightening screw 24

With reference to FIG. 3 the hanger body 33 attached to picture frame 31with screws 38 a & 38 b. The hanger body 33 has two outer screws 39 a &39 b threadably engaged and extending onto the top of the double beveledtrack 35 such that the vertical position, and levelness of picture 31can be changed by turning screw 39 a & 39 b, and horizontal positioningis also possible. The hanger body 33 has inner apertures to support andallow screw 34 to rotate freely. Screw 34 extends below the bottom oftrack 35 and has hook 36 threadably engaged on it. Hook 36 has an upwardlip that engages and locks onto the bottom of track 35. Track 35 isattached to wall 32 with screws 37 a & 37 b. Picture 31 can bepositioned vertically and horizontally along track 35 and then locked inplace by tightening screw 34.

With reference to FIGS. 4a & 4 b, in which like numerals represent likeparts, FIGS. 4a & 4 b show the hanger body 43 attached to picture frame41 with screws 48 a & 48 b. The hanger body 43 has apertures to supportand allow screws 44 a, 44 b, & 44 c to rotate freely. Screws 44 a & 44 chave lock-nuts 49 a & 49 b where they exit the bottom of hanger body 43and downwardly facing hooks 46 a & 46 c threadably engaged on them.Hooks 46 a & 46 c go over track 45 and provide leveling, and verticaland horizontal positioning of picture frame 41. Screw 44 b extends belowthe bottom of track 45 and has upward facing hook 46 b threadablyengaged on it. Hook 46 b has an upward lip that engages and locks ontothe bottom of track 45. Track 45 is attached to wall 42 with screws 47 a& 47 b. Picture 41 can be positioned vertically and horizontally alongtrack 45 and then locked in place by tightening screw 44 b.

With reference to FIGS. 5a, 5 b, 5 c, 5 d, & 5 e, in which like numeralsrepresent like parts, FIG. 5a shows the back of picture frame 51 a withtop and bottom single screw and hook hanger assemblies 52T & 52Bengaging top and bottom tracks 55T & 55B. Hanger 52B supports andpositions picture 51 a on track 55B. Hanger 52T locks picture 51 a ontothe two tracks 55T & 55B.

FIG. 5b shows the back of picture frame 51 b with a top single screw andhook hanger assembly 52′T engaging top track 55′T, and bottom doublescrew hanger 53 engaging track 55′B. Double screw hanger 53 supports,levels, and positions picture 51 b on track 55′B. Single screw hanger52′T locks picture 51 b onto the two tracks 55′T & 55′B.

FIG. 5c shows the back of picture frame 51 c with top and bottom triplescrew and hook hanger assemblies and tracks 54T & 54B. Each hangerassembly and track supports, levels, positions, and locks picture 51 cin place.

FIG. 5d shows the back of picture frame 51 d with right and left triplescrew and hook hanger assemblies and tracks 54′TL & 54′TR. Each hangerassembly and track supports, levels, positions, and locks picture 51 cin place.

FIG. 5e shows the back of picture frame 51E with single screw, hook andtrack hanger assemblies 52″TL, 52″TR, 52″BL & 52″BR on the four cornersof picture frame 51E. These four hanger assemblies act to position andlock picture frame 51E in position.

With reference to FIG. 6 tracks 62 & 63 are affixed to a wall such thatsingle screw and hook hanger assemblies 64TL, 64TR, 64BL, & 64BR engagetop and bottom tracks and are affixed to the four corners of easel body60. Easel body 60 has top, bottom, and side picture frame holdingbrackets 65T, 65B, 65L, & 65R with heavy security screws 66T, 66B, 66L,& 66R engaging threaded connections 67T, 67B, 67L, & 67R affixed to theeasel. The four picture frame holding brackets permit various sizepictures to be held by the easel. The easel can be positioned and lockedalong the tracks with the hanger assemblies. The use of metal componentsfor the tracks and hanger assemblies permits the addition of anelectrical potential across the tracks such that wires 68+ & 68− mayprovide power for a monitoring and alarm system 69 mounted onto theeasel 60.

While the invention has been described above with respect to certainembodiments thereof it will be appreciated that variations andmodifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A bracket and hanger system composed of ahorizontal bracket affixed to a surface, and a hanger body configured tobe affixed to an object and having vertically adjustable hooks forengaging said bracket, whereby said object is supported, horizontallyand vertically positionable, and lockable onto the bracket.
 2. Thesystem of claim 1 wherein the two outer screw hooks are facing downwhile the middle hook is facing up, such that the down facing hooksengage the top of the bracket and the middle hook engages the bottom ofthe bracket.
 3. A bracket and hanger system composed of two or morehorizontal brackets affixed to a surface, and two or more hanger bodiesconfigured to be affixed to an object and having one or more verticallyadjustable hooks for engaging said brackets, whereby said object issupported, horizontally and vertically positionable, and lockable ontothe brackets.
 4. The system of claim 3 wherein multiple metal bracketsand hanger bodies are used to support an object holding device such thatan electrical potential may be applied to the brackets for powering amonitoring and alarm device affixed to the object holding device,thereby allowing a wide variety of objects to be supported, positioned,locked, and monitored.